Area digs out after storm dumps more than 6 inches of snow

Charles Kanaskie uses a long handled floor broom to clean the snow off his truck.
Photo by Kevin Hoffman, the Mercury

POTTSTOWN — Schools closed and many headed to work several hours late after a massive storm blanketed the Northeast with more than 6 inches of snow. Philadelphia reported more than 14 inches while some areas in New Jersey were reporting close to 16 inches. In the tricounty region of Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, Mercury readers were reporting between 6 and 11 inches. You can see a map of reader reported snowfall totals here.

The speed restrictions were taken off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Route 422 and other major highways Wednesday morning, but all government agencies and the National Weather Service were warning anyone venturing outside to bundle up as the wind chill could make temperatures feel below zero degrees.

Montgomery County’s Code Blue winter weather alert extends through Friday as daily temperatures were not expected to break 20 degrees during the day and dip into the negatives at night. The cold is currently expected to continue through next week, according to the weather service.

More snow is expected Thursday after 2 p.m., though not much accumulation is forecast, according to the weather service.

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Pet owners are advised to keep their animals indoors at night and not leave them outside for long periods of time. Click here for tips on keeping your pets safe during the cold weather.

The extreme cold can also pose problems for water pipes and roads. Click here for tips on dealing with frozen pipes and other cold weather advice.

Get weather alerts sent to your smartphone; text PTWEATHER to 22700. Standard text messaging and data rates apply. Text STOP to 22700 to end the service, HELP for assistance.